Sgt. Maj. Daniel Daly Earned Two Medals of Honor on the Battlefield

Jan 15 , 2026

Sgt. Maj. Daniel Daly Earned Two Medals of Honor on the Battlefield

Sgt. Maj. Daniel Joseph Daly stood on the edge where chaos turned to carnage—blood, dirt, gunpowder choking every breath. The walls of the enemy’s siege closed in. His rifle jammed. No cover. No reinforcements. Just a pack of Marines and himself staring down death. Then, without hesitation, he charged forward. No fear. No doubt. Just raw, relentless resolve.

The Making of a Warrior

Born in Glen Cove, New York, Daly grew steeled by the unforgiving streets, carving himself from a hard life into something tougher. Enlisted at just 17, his faith was unshaken, a quiet fire burning beneath the scars. “God bless the Marine Corps” became more than a quip—it was a creed of sacrifice and brotherhood.

His code wasn’t found in medals or puffs of glory but in the grit of every day lived and endured. Daly carried his battles in silence, but his actions thundered louder than words—a warrior tempered by faith and raw honor.

“God is my witness—I will never leave a fallen comrade.” — Daniel J. Daly, Marine Corps lore

The Battle That Defined Him: Boxer Rebellion and Beyond

In 1900, at the Battle of Tianjin during the Boxer Rebellion, Daly’s legend began. Surrounded, hostiles swarming, he seized the regimental colors—no man left behind—and slew foes with cold determination. The citation doesn’t capture the storm in his eyes. He received his first Medal of Honor for those acts of fearless leadership under fire.

Forty years later, the trenches of World War I bore witness to a fiercer Daly. The Battle of Belleau Wood, 1918, is etched in Marine Corps history as hell itself carved into French soil. A sniper’s bullet had pinned down his company. Without cover, Daly shouted over the rifle crack: “Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?”

With nothing but that brazen call, he charged into the razor wire. Men followed. The enemy faltered. Daly’s second Medal of Honor was for this heroic charge that saved his unit and cemented his name in legendary halls.

Honors Earned in Blood

Two Medals of Honor. That fact alone stands peerless in Marine history. Twice recognized for acts most would flee from; twice a man showed what real courage means. His Navy citation for Tianjin cites “distinguished conduct in the presence of the enemy”. The 1918 award calls out his “extraordinary heroism and courage” against overwhelming German forces.

Comrades called him “the greatest Marine who ever wore the uniform.” Commanders echoed the praise. General Smedley Butler, himself a double Medal of Honor recipient, admired Daly’s unbreakable will.

“Old man Daly’s got fire in his gut. He teaches Marines what valor really is.” — Gen. Smedley Butler

The Enduring Legacy of Sgt. Maj. Daly

Daniel Daly died in 1937, but his spirit lives in every Marine who charges against impossible odds. Not as myth—but as proof that courage is earned in the hellscape of combat and forged with faith’s quiet hand.

His story is one of sacrifices made without glory-seeking, of a man who stood unyielding and said, more than once: You want to live forever? Then fight like it matters.

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” — Joshua 1:9

Daly’s legacy is no fairy tale. It’s the raw truth that freedom is guarded by those willing to bleed, die, and rise again—anchored by something unbreakable inside. For veterans, a mirror of sacrifice. For civilians, a call to remember what valor demands.